2022 Fatality Review Report
We dedicate this report to victims and their children, family members, and friends. May the findings from this report create change in the systems victims use every day to survive. we see you. we hear your story. we will change for the better.
In 2022, seven people died at the hands of their intimate partner in Tarrant County.
What is Fatality Review?
The Tarrant County Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) Adult Fatality Review Team was reaffirmed by the Tarrant County Commissioners Court in 2016. The Fatality Review team is led by the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office in partnership with SafeHaven, Tarrant County’s only state designated Family Violence Program.
The team consists of appointed collaborators who conduct in-depth case analysis. Each collaborator provides relevant information to both gather data and paint a picture of the couple’s relationship prior to the homicide. Each collaborator is also independently doing critical, life-saving work in the field of IPV.
Through the review process, the team seeks to determine the details around each IPV homicide, and to explore possible systemic, policy, and practice improvements in our county and beyond. A combination of research and the passion of our community indicates a Coordinated Community Response (CCR) to IPV in Tarrant County is the most effective way to keep victims safe and hold offenders accountable. A reliable, trustworthy Adult Fatality Review Team is a critical component of an effective CCR. The team aims to initiate changes in our community’s response based on our findings identified in this report.
defining ipv homicide
Solely for purposes of reviewing homicides in the Fatality Review Team, the agreed upon definition of an IPV homicide is: “An ongoing pattern of abusive behavior that can include physical violence, sexual violence, stalking, or psychological aggression (including coercive control) by a former or current intimate partner that is motivated by the offender’s desire for power and control over the victim, where the relationship ends in homicide.”
It is important to note that this is not the legal definition, nor does this serve as a standard definition in healthcare, education, social services, or other industries. This definition is solely for purposes of this specific review and was agreed upon when the team was formed in its current iteration in 2016. It stems from a combination of the definitions offered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Hofstra University’s Law School. This definition is intentionally more broad than the legal definition of Family or Dating Violence in the State of Texas.
Honoring the 2022 victims
Female, 26 | Fort Worth
"[She] had a generous, kind heart. She aspired to help people, even when she had no way to help them. She loved her parents and grandparents, visiting them often. She always made it a point to say, "I love you." Most of all, she loved and adored her children. They were her world, and she wanted nothing more for them than to have a wonderful life.”
Female, 66 | Blue Mound
“I’ve had my first Thanksgiving without you and just celebrated my 40th birthday and you weren’t here. I’m broken, Im confused, I’m angry and I’m sad but I know…you’re at peace. You’re happy and with family, free of pain and misery, and I love knowing that.”
Male, 30 | Fort Worth
“… a great father to the children you were raising. I am so proud of who you were and the person you turned out to be, but not hearing your voice saying ‘what’s good popz’ and giving me the tight hugs are very much missed.”
Female, 51 | Grand Prairie
“She was a marvelous woman with the biggest heart. [She] gave freely, and always helped those in need. She did this without question or judgment. She was the true definition of an Earth Angel.”
Female, 32 | Haltom City
“I can’t find the words you deserve. I can say I love you and how deeply I will miss you. Your charisma, extroversion, spunk and eagerness to make everyone around you feel safe, welcomed and included. I love you, and this planet lost one of the best humans.”
Female, 31 | Fort Worth
“[She] was a beautiful woman. Sweet, funny, and generous. Her smile would light up any room she was in. She loved her family fiercely and would protect any of us at all costs. She left this world too soon.”
Female, 44 | Arlington
“She was a sweet, loving, caring, beautiful single mother who left behind five kids along with two grandchildren. She always looked at the good side of everyone around her. She devoted her life to them, they were everything to her and now they will never see her again.”
Three Secondary Homicides
Three bystanders were killed in 2022. In two of the three incidents the intended victims lived, but the friend/family accompanying them died at the hands of the intended victim’s abusive partner. Bystanders are not included in the overall IPV homicide number of 7.
2022 Key statistics
tarrant county ipv homicides by year
digging deeper
By Kathryn Jacob, LMSW
SafeHaven President and CEO
In 2022 two women were killed in separate incidents accompanying a custodial parents to a child custody exchange meetup. SafeHaven’s Kathryn Jacob explores the dangers of child custody in an abusive relationship and what we can do as a community to combat the issue.
By Julie Evans
Alliance for Children
Eleven dependent children were left without a parent in 2022 due to domestic violence homicides. Julie Evans of Alliance from Children explains how witnessing abuse affects children and what our community resources are doing to help.
None of the IPV homicide victims in 2022 sought a protective order prior to the homicide. SafeHaven’s legal department explains the importance of Protective Orders and how they are used to keep victims safe and hold offenders accountable.
By SafeHaven Legal Department
By Allenna Bangs
Assistant Criminal District Attorney
This year’s report reflects that two of the offenders were actively being supervised on bond conditions. Assistant DA Allenna Bangs explains how bond conditions work for offenders.
